Fluid flow distributor

ABSTRACT

A fluid flow distributor, to be used with a steam trap, has a single valve body which includes a steam inlet operatively connected to a steam feeding pipe, a steam outlet operatively connected to the steam trap inlet and in selective fluid communication with the steam inlet through a first valve element provided in this fluid communication, and which selectively allows and blocks said fluid communication, a condensate inlet operatively connected to the steam trap outlet, and a condensate outlet which is open to the outside of the single valve body and provided with fluid communication with the condensate inlet thereof.

FIELD OF THE INVENTION

The present invention refers to a fluid flow distributor to be used witha steam trap of the type used in fluid feeding pipes, particularly thosefor steam feeding.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

The piping plants generally use many valves and devices for blocking,draining or directing fluid flow, as well as accessories forinterconnecting these elements, which may present leak points. The steamfeeding pipes are provided with steam traps which operate for removingthe condensate from the main steam line of the plant, carrying thiscondensate to the environment or to condensate return lines of saidplant.

In the known constructions of steam piping plants, the mounting of steamtraps to the main steam line connecting the latter to the condensatereturn line or to the atmosphere, requires a large amount of componentsand consequently of replacement parts in the installations, as well asspecial mounting tools which, besides making difficult the installationand maintenance tasks, results in a high cost for installing andoperating said plants. These difficulties of installation, maintenanceand operation increase when the work must be carried out in places ofdifficult access in the main line. Furthermore, due to the complexity ofthe conventional installations, it is not always possible to place thesteam traps in their best working position, jeopardizing the performancethereof.

Disclosure of the Invention

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a fluidflow distributor, particularly for mounting a steam trap in a steamfeeding pipe plant which, besides making easier the installation,maintenance and operation tasks in said plant, reduces the number ofcomponents used in the installation of said steam traps in a plant,thereby reducing the costs with equipment, and with the installation,maintenance and operation thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a steam pipingplant with a fluid flow distributor which presents the above mentionedadvantages and which further allows an installation of steam traps inthe main line of the steam piping plant with an optimized positioning ofthe steam trap, even in places of difficult access. An additional objectof the present solution is to provide a fluid flow distributor which,besides the advantages above, allows the standardization ofinstallations with less and simplified tools and facilitates the accessand replacement of the steam traps of said plant.

These and others objectives are achieved through a fluid flowdistributor to be used with a steam trap, comprising a single valve bodywhich includes: a steam inlet, operatively connected to a steam feedingpipe; a steam outlet, operatively connected to the steam trap inlet andin selective fluid communication with the steam inlet; a condensateinlet, operatively connected to the steam trap outlet; a condensateoutlet, which is open to the outside of the single valve body and whichis provided with fluid communication with the condensate inlet thereof;and a first valve element, provided in the fluid communication betweenthe steam inlet and the steam outlet of the single valve body, in orderto selectively allow and block the fluid communication between the steamfeeding pipe and the steam trap. This construction allows astandardization of installation, because the whole connection of thetrap with the plant is carried out through the single valve body.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

The invention will be described below, based on the attached drawings,in which:

FIG. 1 represents, schematically and partially, the installation of asteam trap in a steam plant provided with a steam feeding line and acondensate return line, according to the prior art;

FIG. 2 represents, schematically and in a longitudinal section, a fluidflow distributor construction, according to the present invention;

FIG. 3 represents, schematically and in a longitudinal section, anotherarrangement for the valve elements of the fluid flow distributor,according to the present invention; and

FIG. 4 represents, schematically and in a perspective view, a steam trapand an element for connecting it to the fluid flow distributor of thepresent invention;

BEST MODE OF CARRYING OUT THE INVENTION

The fluid flow distributor of the present invention will be describedaccording to the attached drawings for a steam plant having a steamfeeding pipe 1, to which is coupled at least one steam trap 10 whichtransfers the condensate present in said steam feeding pipe to theenvironment or also to a condensate return pipe 2, each steam trap 10being connected to the steam feeding pipe 1 and to the condensate returnpipe 2 through appropriate connecting elements, according to the priorart. In the steam plant construction provided with steam raps of theprior art (FIG. 1), between the steam feeding pipe 1 and the condensatereturn pipe 2 is mounted, through appropriate connecting elements, atleast one steam trap 10 having an inlet 11 and an outlet 12, operativelyand respectively connected to the steam feeding pipe 1 and to thecondensate return pipe 2, through appropriate connections.

According to the illustrations, the mounting of each steam trap 10 tothe steam feeding pipe 1 and to the condensate return pipe 2 is madethrough the provision of valve elements downstream and upstream of eachsteam trap, said valve members selectively allowing and blocking thefluid communication between the steam feeding pipe 1 and the condensatereturn pipe 2.

In the construction illustrated in FIG. 1, a first valve 3, which isnormally open, is provided upstream the steam trap 10, in the fluidcommunication between the steam feeding pipe 1 and said steam trap 10,in order to selectively allow and block said fluid communication. Inthis construction, downstream the steam trap 10, in the condensatereturn pipe 2, are provided second and third valves 4, 5, said secondvalve 4 being normally open, in order to allow the selective fluidcommunication between the steam trap 10 and the condensate return pipe2, while the third valve 5 is in its normally closed state.

In this embodiment, the closed condition of the second valve 4 and theopen condition of the third valve 5 is selectively obtained for drainingthe team trap 10 or for checking the operation of the latter, e.g. bydischarging to the atmosphere. according to the illustrations, the steamplant is further provided in its steam feeding pipe 1 with a fourthvalve 6, which is normally closed and which selectively allows andblocks the fluid communication between the steam feeding pipe 1 and theoutside environment, for cleaning and/or draining said pipe.

This construction presents the previously discussed drawbacks.

According to the present invention, the connection of each steam trap 10to the steam feeding pipe 1 is made through a fluid flow distributor,which comprises a single valve body 20, which is prismatic, for example,and to which is mounted a steam trap 10 through a sealing connection andscrews, said single valve body 20 having a steam inlet 21, which isoperatively connected to the steam feeding pipe 1, and a steam outlet22, which is operatively connected to the inlet 11 of the steam trap 10and in selective fluid communication with said steam inlet 21.

The single valve body 20 is further provided with a condensate inlet 23,which is operatively connected to the outlet 12 of the steam trap 10,and a condensate outlet 25, which is open to the outside of the singlevalve body 20 and provided with fluid communication with the condensateinlet 23 thereof. In the illustrated construction, the condensate outlet24 is connectable to the condensate return pipe 2.

According to the invention, a first valve element 31, which is normallyopen and provided at the fluid communication between the steam inlet 21and he steam outlet 22 of the single valve body 20, selectively allowsthe fluid communication between the steam feeding pipe 1 and the steamtrap 10, during a normal operation condition of said steam trap 10 andallowing the blocking of this fluid communication in an inoperativecondition of said steam trap 10, such as for removing it from thedistributor being described.

According to the illustrations in FIGS. 2 to 4, the single valve body 20of the fluid flow distributor of the present invention is furtherprovided with a second valve element 32, which is normally opened andprovided in the fluid communication between the condensate inlet 23 andthe condensate outlet 24 of the single valve body 20, in order toselectively allow the fluid communication between the steam trap 10 andthe condensate return pipe 2, during the normal operation condition ofthe steam trap 10, interrupting said fluid communication, for exampleduring an inoperative condition of the steam trap 10, such as forremoving it from the distributor being described, or for checking theoperation of said steam trap 10.

In the illustrated construction, the single valve body 20 furtherpresents a third valve element 33, which is normally closed and providedin the fluid communication between the condensate inlet 23, and acondensate drain outlet 25, which is open to the outside of the singlevalve body 20, in order to allow said fluid communication in thesituations in which the second valve element 32 is blocking the fluidcommunication between the condensate inlet 23 and the condensate outlet24 of the single valve body 20, the steam trap 10 being in its operativecondition, and in order to block said communication during the normaloperation of said steam trap 10. In the illustrated construction, thesingle valve body 20 further presents a cleaning and/or draining outlet26, which is open to the outside of said single valve body 20 and inselective fluid communication with the steam inlet 21 thereof. In aconstructive option, the fluid communication between the steam feedingpipe 1 and the cleaning outlet 26 is selectively allowed by a fourthvalve element 34, which is normally closed and provided at the fluidcommunication between the steam inlet 21 and the cleaning outlet 26 ofthe single valve body 20.

According to the illustrations, all the valve elements are the same andof the type which is manually and independently operated from theoutside of the single valve body 20 and the steam trap 10 being mountedto single valve body 20 through a connecting sealing element 40.However, other constructions are possible within the concept described,using for example one, two or three valve elements, which may optionallybe similar, with the number of valve elements being defined in functionof inlets and outlets provided at the single valve body and the amountof inlets and outlets to be controlled by the valve elements. In anotherconstruction, not illustrated, a single valve element allows and blocksthe selective fluid communication between the steam inlet 21 and thesteam outlet of the single valve body 20 and the cleaning outlet 26; andanother valve element allows and blocks the selective fluidcommunication between the condensate inlet 23 and the condensate outlet24 and the condensate drain 25 of the single valve body 20, in aconstruction in which all of said inlets and outlets are provided at thesingle valve body.

FIG. 3 illustrates a shape variation for the single valve body 20, inwhich the valve elements 31, 32, 33 and 34, the steam inlet 21 an thecondensate outlet 24 are radially placed on a same plane, the condensatedrain outlet 25 and the cleaning outlet 26 being axially located, makingpossible the internal machining of the single valve body 20.

What is claimed is:
 1. A fluid flow distributor, to be used with a steamtrap, comprising a single valve body provided with: a steam inletoperatively connected to a steam feeding pipe; a steam outletoperatively connected to the steam trap inlet and in selective fluidcommunication with the steam inlet; a condensate inlet operativelyconnected to the steam trap outlet; a condensate outlet which is open toan outside of the single valve body and which is provided with fluidcommunication with the condensate inlet thereof; and a first valveelement provided in the fluid communication between the steam inlet andthe steam outlet of the single valve body, in order to selectively allowand block the fluid communication between the steam feeding pipe and thesteam trap; a second valve element provided in the fluid communicationbetween the condensate inlet and a condensate outlet, in order toselectively allow and block said fluid communication; a third valveelement provided in the fluid communication between the condensate inletand the condensate drain outlet, in order to selectively allow and blocksaid fluid communication; and a fourth valve element provided in thefluid communication between the steam inlet and a cleaning outlet,selectively allowing and blocking said fluid communication, wherein saidfirst, second, third and fourth valve elements are radially placed on asame plane on the single valve body.
 2. The fluid flow distributoraccording to claim 1, wherein the condensate outlet of the single valvebody is connectable to a condensate return pipe.
 3. The fluid flowdistributor according to claim 2, wherein the condensate drain outletprovided on the single valve body is open to the outside of the singlevalve body and is in selective fluid communication with the condensateinlet thereof.
 4. The fluid flow distributor according to claim 3,wherein the cleaning outlet provided on the single valve body is open tothe outside and is in selective fluid communication with the steam inletof said single valve body.
 5. The fluid flow distributor according toclaim 4, wherein the steam trap is mounted to the single valve bodythrough a connecting sealing element.